Aquinos observe ‘Undas’

President Benigno Aquino 3rd commemorated Undas (All Saints’ Day) on Thursday with a visit to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City (Metro Manila), the resting place of his parents, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

The President arrived around 3 p.m. He was joined by his sisters Viel Dee, Pinky Abellada and Ballsy Cruz in a holy rosary led by the latter. Their youngest sibling, TV host Kris Aquino, was not around as she reportedly left for a vacation with her two sons.

The event was solemn with only few visitors. In fact, the monobloc chairs prepared were not fully occupied.

With many onlookers around, the cemetery was heavily secured by presidential guards, with the help of Metro Manila and Parañaque City Police.

Malacañang said Aquino will spend his weekend monitoring events related to Undas. He earlier ordered concerned government agencies to assure safe and unhampered travel of Filipinos who will commemorate the day in the provinces.

Ninoy was assassinated in 1983, leading to the EDSA Revolution that toppled the strongman rule of then-President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

The popular uprising catapulted Cory to the presidency. She died of colon cancer in 2009.